Trolley-line support



' G. D. SLAYMAKER.

TROLLEY LINE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 1,1921- Patented Dec. 5,1922;

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X 'INVEFNTOR. ay

, ATTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

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eEoReE I). SLAYMAKER, 0 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIenoRTo; sLAYMAKER ELEcTRIo WELDING ooivrraunn ooRroRATIoN 0E MICHIGAN.

TBOLLEY LINE sUrEoRT; I 1 i} Application filed .October-l, 1921. Serial N'o 504,735. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, GEORGE D. SLAY- MAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and railway and similar uses. Strain plates are now frequently used and in some localities required by law. They are plates thatare tightly clamped to the trolley wire at given intervals for the purpose of holding the overhead system up in case part of the trolley line breaks. 1 To accomplish this purpose these strain plates are very tightly clamped to the trolley wire so that all the strain upon the trolley wire is borne by the strain plate and the guy wires that hold it up. This tight, clamping of the trolley wi'reso afiects the wire at this point thatit actuallyweakens it and very often this isthe point where the trolley wire breaks.

It is the object ofthe. present invention to obviate this trouble by providing. a strain plate which under ordinary service conditions is not clamped to the trolley 'wire. Ordinarily the trolley wire is free to shift back and forth in the strain plate within small limits Without interference. When the trolley line suddenly breaks it is subjected to a heavy strain, due to the heavy tension under which the line is strung. This strain plate, when the break occurs, automatically binds upon the trolley wire and clamps it tightly in place to relieve the strain on the rest of the overhead system.

In the drawings,--

Fig. l is a side elevation of the strain plate.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a cross section on the line 4-& of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the eccentric shoe carrier.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the eccentric.

a designates a top plate; I) a channelled bottom plate. These two plates are clamped together by bolts and nuts 0. A set of holes (Z (four in number-one in each corner) affords a suitable place for the anchorage of the guywires. It has been customary to tightly clamp the trolley wire 6 to the supporting plate. As'already explained, this causes the trolley wire material, under the almost constant vibrations set up'by the trolley wheels, to change and become so.

weakened as to very often break. On top of the top plate a I weld a hood f. i The two plates and the hood constitute a housing, or what is referred'to in some of the claims as a memberf Supported ona pin lH-tlllS f hood is an eccentric shoe carrier 72. which is simply; an arm 72. with a slot 9' which is pivoted eat one end upon the'pin p Fivoted on the pin'j is the eccentric shoe is whichis provided with sharp" teeth m. These teeth are set upon an arcwhose center is at the point a (see Fig..6). The eccentric swings on the center 0. Now ordinarily the* trolley wire rides through thechannel of the under; plate 6 with only a slight bind or engagement, as is'shown in Fig. 4, for the eccentricdoes not bite into it. However, as

soon as any unusual tension or strain is applied to the. trolley wire due to breaking of the line on one side of the strain plate, this starts to rotate the eccentric, shoe or clamp is and obviously the further this is rotated the harder it will bite into'the wire on account of its ever-increasing radius.

1 It will, therefore, be seen that "thls is automatically operatingclamp that is effective only when unusual tension occurs on the wire or when the wire is caused to play through the plates to an-,unusual degree in either direction. I a p The eccentric is preferably carried upon the slotted and pivoted arm it, so that by altering the position of the set screw and jam-nut w and y, respectively, the position of the eccentric with respect to the trolley line may be adjusted.

The form of my housing comprising an upper and lower plate has another very useful function, that is, it permits the renewal of the under plate without in any way disturbing the top plate which is connected with the guy wires. It is a very difficult job to properly locate these strain plates with respect to the guy wires. Consequently when the lower channelled plate wears out due to the repeated travel of the trolley wheel over the same, the wear plate or lower plate may be renewed by simply unbolting the same and putting it in place.

This invention may also be used for ordinary hangers for trolley lines and hence in the claims I have denominated the device broadly as a support.

What I claim is:

1. A support for trolley lines, having in combination, a lower channelled plate, a top plate clamped to the lower plate, a hood secured to the top plate, and an eccentric shoe pivoted in the hood and bearing lightly on the trolley wire, the said trolley line running freely through the channel and in light engagement with the shoe under normal conditions, the said eccentric shoe anranged to bind the trolley wire in the channel only when an unusual loador tension is placed upon the trolley line. i

2. In a support for trolley lines, the combination of a housing, an adjustable arm secured to the housing, an eccentric pivoted on the arm, and a trolley wire passing through the housing and into engagement with the eccentric, the said arm being adjustable to vary the relation of the eccentric to the trolley wire, the said eccentric arranged when an unusual load or tension is placed upon the trolley line to bind the trolley wire and grip the same.

3. In a support for trolley lines, the combination of a member, a trolley wire passing through the member, an automatic clamping device arranged to engage lightly with the trolley wire under normal conditions but to bind the same under an unusual load or tension on the trolley line, and means for carrying the adjustable clamp on the said member so that the same may be varied in its relation, to the trolley wire to meet varying conditions.

4:. In a support for trolley lines, the com bination of a top plate having means at its 1 isaoes four corners for connection with the guy wires, a lower plate which can be removably clamped to the top plate independent of the guy wires, and a trolley Wire secured between the upper and lower plates.

5. In a support for trolley lines, the combination of a member, a trolley arranged to slide through the member within given limits in ordinary service, and an eccentric clamp having the center of the arc upon which the periphery is formed directly above the center of pivoting when the clamp is in its normal central position, whereby the clamp only bears lightly upon the Wire during the normal shifting of the wire during ordinary service.

6. A support for trolley lines, having in combination, a member, a continuous trolley line passing through said member from end to end, and a clamping means on said member arranged to permit ordinary shift ing or relative movement of the trolley line and member, but arranged to take hold of the wire when unusual tension is placed upon the trolley at either end of the member.

7. A support for trolley lines; having in combination, a member, a continuous trolley line passing through said member from end to end and a single eccentric pivotedon said member and arranged to have its shortest radii normally perpendicular to the trolley line and ordinarily permit small relative movement between the line and memher, but provided with progressively longer radii at either side of the perpendicular so as to automatically bind and clamp the trolley line, where the line is put under unusual tension at either end.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

GEORGE D. SLAYMAKER. 

